Podesta Group

The Podesta Group was established in 1988 and is a Washington based 'full service' bipartisan government relations and public affairs firm

On their website, the Podesta Group advertise their services as including...

Government Relations

• Administration Strategies
• Legislative Strategies
• Issue Management
• Policy Positioning
• Corporate Responsibility Initiatives
• Coalition Building
• Crisis Management
• Opposition Research
• Political Development

Public Affairs

• Message Development
• Branding and Positioning
• Crisis Communications
• Issue Advertising
• Media Relations and Training
• Targeted Survey Research
• Special Events
• Internal and External Communications

People

• Tony Podesta - According to his biography, Podesta's 'long-standing personal ties to Members of Congress and the public interest community distinguish him from competitors'.

• Kimberley Fritts - CEO. Fritts was formerly Southern Political Director for the Republican National Committee, Deputy Campaign Manager for Jeb Bush and Political Director for Senator Connie Mack.

• David H Morrison - Chair of the Podesta Group’s National Security and International Policy Practice. Morrison previously served as the Staff Director/Clerk of the House Appropriations Committee’s Defense Subcommittee, was the Democratic staff member on the Appropriations Committee (with responsiblity for developing legislation to fund all U.S. military activities and national foreign and defense intelligence programs), was the principal defense advisor to Defense Subcommittee Chairman Murtha and to Committee Chairman Obey and was a key advisor to Speaker Pelosi on defense and intelligence matters. Morrison also served as budget analyst with the Office of Management and Budget’s National Security Division, was Deputy Associate Director of OMB for National Security, was the chief of the National Security Division and was the President’s senior civil servant advisor on the defense budget.

• Paul A Brathwaite - Brathwaite previously served as Executive Director for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employment Standards Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor (during the Clinton Administration) and served the Department of Transportation’s General Counsel’s Honors Program (on Capitol Hill for then-Congressman Tom Carper (D-DE), Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) and for New York Governor Mario Cuomo). In his biography, Brathwaite is descibed as having 'high-level contacts in both the House and Senate and provides strategic counsel to clients on telecommunications, health care, financial services, and transportation policy matters'.

• Sharon L Cohen - Cohen's biography descibes her as 'one of the most experienced and well-connected health care and biotech lobbyists in Washington'. Cohen previously served as Vice President for Government Relations with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), was the chief lobbyist for the Health Insurance Association of America, was Director of Congressional Relations for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, worked at the American Council of Life Insurers, served as Deputy Director of Federal Relations for the American Psychiatric Association and as Director of Health Policy for the Alliance for Aging Research. Cohen is described as having 'excellent relationships with House and Senate Leadership offices, Senate Finance and HELP committees, House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees as well as with officials at the Food and Drug Administration and in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services'.